


Stake Your Claim

by celtic7irish



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Beta Bruce, Beta/Omega Tony, I have no idea what I'm doing, I took serious liberties with the omegaverse, M/M, No Idea, Omegaverse, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 20:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3087323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Uh…yeah.  Well, sort of,” he amended.  Bruce wasn’t amused, and Tony sighed, slumping back into the couch, putting a couple of inches between himself and the other man.  He held a hand out in front of him.  “Extremis,” he muttered.  “It messed with my physiology.  I used to be a beta, like it says on my personnel file.”  He scowled; that hadn’t been a side effect he’d planned for, because it wasn’t supposed to happen.  A person didn’t just switch from beta to omega, or omega to alpha.  It was completely unheard of for somebody’s gender to change that drastically.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stake Your Claim

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first omegaverse story, ever. Mostly because I wrote it for somebody who wanted Bruce x Tony, and if I actually have them get together naturally, the story would have been like 50 chapters long, and I simply didn't have that kind of time. So I took some serious liberties, and ask that you forgive me for the warped story line you're about to read. I rather enjoyed writing it, however, so I'm going to post it anyhow.

Tony huffed in frustration, dropping the Iron Man gauntlet to the table.  He was too distracted to manage the fine motor skills required for upgrades.  The symptoms had come upon him slowly, but now he couldn’t help but notice the trembling in his hands and the warm flush heating his face and chest, crawling its way down his spine.

 

DUM-E whirred nervously from his position next to Tony, his claw picking agitatedly at Tony’s shirt.  Tony shooed him away absently, having far more pressing matters on his mind at the moment.  Across the room, Butterfingers and You raised their heads, shifting uneasily in their docking stations.  Tony ignored them.  They’d seen this before, so they knew he’d be all right.

 

“Shit,” he muttered to himself, then louder, “JARVIS, put us on lockdown. I want complete blackout.”

 

 _“Of course, sir,”_ the AI replied promptly, saving and shutting down the programs Tony had been working on.  The door to the lab sealed itself off with a series of clicks, and the lights dimmed, remaining on just long enough for Tony to stagger into the safe room connected to the lab, where he would be sealed off for the next twenty-four hours or so.

 

With the room darkened behind him, Tony moved into the safe room and collapsed onto the couch – and right onto another warm body.  Jerking back reflexively as the body beneath him startled, Tony winced as his ass hit the floor.  “Oww….what the hell?” he grumbled.  “JARVIS, lights.  Forty percent.”  The lights brightened more than enough for Tony to see who he’d just landed on, and he blinked up at an owlish Bruce Banner, who was now sitting upright on the sofa, his mass of curls tangled about his head.

 

“Tony?” Bruce asked, reaching down to help the other man up automatically.  “What’s wrong?”

 

Tony gave a low groan, but allowed Bruce to pull him to his feet and settle him on the couch.  The doctor pulled his legs over and curled them underneath him to give Tony room to sit.  “Nothing’s wrong, exactly,” Tony muttered.  “I just forgot that you were in here.”

 

Bruce blinked, readjusting his glasses which had fallen askew while he’d slept.  “Ah, I see,” he mumbled, removing his glasses altogether and wiping them off with his shirt.  “I can go, if you’d like,” he offered next.

 

 _“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Doctor Banner,”_ JARVIS spoke up, and Tony suddenly realized that the AI had known that Bruce was in here, and hadn’t bothered to remind him.  He glared mutely at the closest wall, knowing JARVIS could see him.  _“Sir has ordered a total lockdown.  For the next twenty-four hours, I cannot permit Sir to leave this set of rooms.  I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am afraid that you will have to remain as well.”_

“That’s it, JARVIS. I’m replacing you with Siri,” Tony threatened, his heart not really in it.  Instead, his attention was rather singularly focused on the other male sitting on the couch with him.

 

 _“I apologize, sir, but you ordered a lockdown,”_ JARVIS reminded him, and Tony could practically hear the smugness radiating from him.  _“You did not request to know if any others were in the immediate vicinity, so I determined that you did not find it pertinent, and a blackout order trumps any previously given orders, by your own design, sir.”_

Bruce was watching Tony worriedly, and Tony realized that the other man had no idea what was happening.  He groaned, slumping to his right, so that he was pressed against Bruce’s side from shoulder to hips, dropping his head tiredly onto the other man’s shoulder.  “Bruuuuuuce, take care of me,” he whined, not even bothering to try and play it cool.  Of all the Avengers, Bruce was the one he trusted most, even with this.  Besides, if he wasn’t mistaken – and he was never mistaken – Bruce was a beta, which meant that he was safe.  Or, at least, safer than an alpha would be.

 

“Tony, what?” Bruce asked, turning his head.  He froze, having obviously caught a whiff of the pheromones Tony was giving off.  The genius grinned at him, arousal curling low in his stomach.  He could ignore it if he had to, but really, if he could convince Bruce to help him out a bit with his Heat, it would be so much better.

 

“You’re an omega,” Bruce said flatly, and Tony winced.

 

“Uh…yeah.  Well, sort of,” he amended.  Bruce wasn’t amused, and Tony sighed, slumping back into the couch, putting a couple of inches between himself and the other man.  He held a hand out in front of him.  “Extremis,” he muttered.  “It messed with my physiology.  I used to be a beta, like it says on my personnel file.”  He scowled; that hadn’t been a side effect he’d planned for, because it wasn’t supposed to happen.  A person didn’t just switch from beta to omega, or omega to alpha.  It was completely unheard of for somebody’s gender to change that drastically.

 

Bruce’s brow furrowed as he pondered that for a moment, but he didn’t seem angry, so Tony risked shifting closer again.  When Bruce didn’t push him away, he turned enough to bury his face in Bruce’s neck.  “Are you a true omega?” Bruce asked, and Tony smiled against his throat. Trust Bruce to take it in stride and be more interested in the scientific implications rather than the sexual ones.

 

He shook his head.  “Not in the way that most people consider a person to be a ‘true omega’,” he admitted.  “For one, I don’t lose my head entirely to the heat.  I get a bit more touchy-feely, I suppose, but I’m a hedonist anyhow, so it’s really not a noticeable difference.”  He tilted his head, then grinned widely, flashing his teeth.  “I also don’t self-lubricate quite as thoroughly as a true omega.”  The blush he got for his forwardness was totally worth it.

 

“Then what makes you identify as an omega?” Bruce wondered out loud, and Tony smiled affectionately at the other man, shifting again so he was lying on the couch, his head in Bruce’s lap.  One of Bruce’s hands started stroking through his hair, and Tony melted with a pleased sigh.  “Oh,” Bruce said softly.  Tony hummed in agreement.  “Why me?” was the next question, and Tony opened his eyes again, annoyed.

 

“Because you’re here.  Because I like you.  Because you’re a hell of a lot safer than any alpha out there.  I don’t know if I can get knocked up or not, and I’d rather not risk it.  Same with bonding; I don’t want it.  You, however, I’ve wanted for like forever.  But I didn’t think you’d be interested in a hybrid,” he grumbled.  It was really irritating, having the instincts of an omega while still identifying as a beta, mostly.  His heats only ever lasted one day, and even if he just curled up and slept, the worst thing that would happen was that he’d be rather uncomfortable, and plenty grumpy afterwards.  He didn’t even need toys, though he certainly had no objection to them, when he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – find a willing partner for a day or night.

 

“I’m not exactly safe to be around, Tony,” Bruce pointed out with an ironic twist to his lips, considering that Tony had just inadvertently locked the two of them together for the next several hours.

 

A cramp shot through Tony’s abdomen, causing him to curl up around the hurt area.  Bruce’s hands steadied him.  “Tony?” he asked again, the worry clear in his voice.  He brushed hair away from Tony’s face, then jerked his hand back at the heat emanating from the billionaire’s body. 

 

“Extremis,” Tony gritted out between clenched teeth.  “Trying to fix me.”

 

Bruce stood up from the couch, careful not to jostle Tony too much.  He set the omega’s head gently on the cushions, then used both hands to force Tony to uncurl.  “Come on, Tony.  I can help, but you need to straighten up a bit.”

 

Even doubled over with Heat cramps, Tony heard the beta’s words.  “You mean that?” he demanded with a huffed breath.  “You’ll help?”  Bruce’s hands froze, and Tony realized that perhaps the scientist’s version of helping was a bit different from his.  Still, he wasn’t going to get anywhere like he was now, so he grudgingly allowed Bruce to uncurl him, turning him onto his stomach.  He turned his head so that it was facing away from the couch, brown eyes watching the other man as Bruce moved down to stand by his knees.  "What're you doing?" he wondered, unable to keep the flirtatious lilt out of his tone.

 

Bruce just rolled his eyes.  "Behave, Tony," he admonished lightly.  "I'm going to help you with the cramps, okay?"  Tony just nodded meekly, folding his arms on the couch under his cheek and closing his eyes.  Bruce hummed in approval.

 

A moment later, Tony felt the heat from Bruce's body where the other man straddled him, strong legs clamped firmly on either side of his hips, caging him.  Almost immediately, Tony felt some of the tension fall from him.  Bruce might only be a beta, but he was still a warm body, and the promise of a firm touch was enough to loosen his body in relaxation, the cramps fading slightly.

 

Bruce's hands gripped his shoulders firmly, his thumbs digging into the flesh above the collar of his tank top.  Tony let out a pleased groan that was very nearly obscene, all but arching up into those clever hands as they massaged his neck and shoulders with confident strokes.

 

Tony let himself drift in and out of awareness, grounded only by Bruce's hands on his skin.  He had forgotten how good it could feel to have somebody else take care of him, without sex entering the picture.  Not that he'd object if Bruce was willing or anything.

 

Bruce had moved down, his hands stroking under the hem of Tony's shirt, his calluses chafing gently as he pressed strong fingers into the muscles on either side of his spine.  Bruce leaned down over his back, his mouth next to Tony's ear, and murmured, "Shirt off, Tony."

 

"Hell, yes," Tony agreed fervently, allowing Bruce to manhandle him into a sitting position so he could slip his shirt over his head.  He offered Bruce a languid smile, his eyes half-lidded as he flicked his tongue out to touch his lower lip, gratified to see Bruce's eyes drop to watch his mouth.

 

Wrapping his arms around Bruce's shoulders, he leaned in close, his mouth only a breath away from Bruce's lips.  Bruce's scent - a heady combination of earthy spices and herbal soap - caught in his nose and throat, and he let slip a rather pathetic whine.  "Bruce, please," he asked, his voice dropping an octave or two.  "I'm not some wilting omega, to just lay here and take it.  And you're not as dangerous as you like to pretend you are.  Hulk likes me, you like me, and I like you, so what's the problem?"

 

He watched Bruce's expression seriously.  If the other man really didn't want this, then Tony wouldn't pressure him, would instead send Bruce out to the lab to fiddle while he took care of his heat by himself.  But if Bruce was only hesitating because he was afraid that the Hulk might come out, or was worried that Tony wasn't thinking clearly because of his Heat, then Tony had no intention of riding this out alone.  Not if he didn't have to.  He might not be the ideal omega, but then again, he hadn't been born one, either, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone that he wouldn't act like the typical omega male, submissive and agreeable.

 

Bruce pulled back, and Tony fought to not lean forward, to let Bruce have his space.  A searching gaze met his eyes, and Tony forced himself to remain open and calm, to tone down the flirting and let the other man make his own judgment.  He realized that propositioning Bruce for the first time while he was in Heat was probably not his brightest plan, but since they were both here, it was worth a shot.  Besides, if Bruce freaked out later, he could blame it on Tony’s Heat Cycle, and they could go back to being best friends and science bros.

 

Bruce bit his bottom lip, and Tony relaxed, giving him a brilliant smile.  That gesture meant that Bruce was ready to cave and was scrambling for a reason to deny him – to deny them both.  Almost tentatively, Bruce nodded his agreement, and Tony cheered internally.

 

“Finally,” he groaned, his arms wrapping back around Bruce’s neck as he dropped back onto the couch, pulling his companion down with him.  Tony wasn’t sure he’d call them lovers, not until after his Heat was over, at least.

 

“JARVIS, time?” he demanded.  Bruce startled, abruptly reminded of the AI that had eyes and ears all through the Tower.

 

 _“There are twenty-one hours and thirty-seven minutes of lockdown remaining, Sir,”_ JARVIS replied promptly, and Tony grinned lasciviously up at the man crouched above him.

 

“Plenty of time, don’t you think?” he asked lightly, then made a guttural noise when warm hands stroked across his ribcage and over his stomach with broad, firm strokes.  “Guh,” he managed, completely ineloquently.

 

Bruce chuckled softly, shaking his head.  “I’m still not sure this is a good idea, but it would be against my doctor’s code to let you suffer when I could provide relief,” he murmured, and that was all the proof that Tony needed that this had been an awesome idea.  Maybe he’d give JARVIS a few upgrades he’d been meaning to get around to afterwards.

 

The Heat cramps were all but gone now, just a faint twinge in the lower section of his abdomen.  He was being touched, caressed and petted, and the part of him that was distinctly omega took that to mean that sex was imminent, and his body set about preparing itself for penetration.  He could feel the warm slick sliding out of him and onto the couch.  It wasn’t nearly as thick or copious as a regular omega’s, but then again, Bruce didn’t have an alpha’s cock.  That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t nicely proportioned, but there was no knot for Tony to worry about, so the amount of slick he was currently generating should be more than enough.

 

The scent of slick and arousal surrounded them, and Bruce’s eyes lost some of their intense focus.  Curling his fingers, Bruce dragged his nails resolutely across Tony’s skin, leaving faint pink marks, and Tony mewled, writhing into that touch, his own cock filling to stand at attention.  He was gratified to see that Bruce was just as hard as he was, even if the doctor wasn’t actually _doing_ anything yet.

 

Reaching up, Tony tugged ineffectually at Bruce’s clothes, managing with some struggling to untuck his button-down shirt from his khakis.  “Come on, Bruce,” he groaned.  “You’re killing me here.”

 

Bruce grabbed his wrists and pressed them against the sofa with a firm push before sitting back.  Tony didn’t move them from where he’d put them, and Bruce rewarded him by unbuttoning his shirt and slipping the shirt off his arms, gazing down at him through lust-blown eyes.  “Tony,” he murmured, “last chance to back out.”

 

Tony just rolled his eyes.  “Not happening, big guy,” he reassured the other man.  “I’ve wanted this for way too damn long, and if you don’t fuck me in the next thirty seconds, I’m going to die.  I mean, seriously, I might die.”  He squirmed, his body warm and aching and _empty_.  This was different than normal, and Tony wondered if that was because he actually had a chance at a warm, living body, instead of just the cold, unfeeling toys that he usually used to help him past his Heat.  Or maybe his omega instincts were getting stronger.  He didn’t know, and right now, he really didn’t fucking care.

 

Bruce pulled back far enough to let Tony shimmy out of his jeans and boxers, but stopped him when Tony reached for the buttons of his pants.  Tony whined, his eyes fastened on the obvious bulge in the other man’s pants, but Bruce just shook his head, still in complete control of his actions.

 

“No, Tony,” he chastised firmly.  “I’ll help you, but we’re going to do this my way.  Have I made myself clear?”  There was a low rumbling growl in his voice now, and Tony’s whole body went limp at the sound of it.  It wasn’t an alpha’s command, but it was pretty damn close, and he stared admiringly up at the normally mild-mannered scientist.

 

“Did you just let the Hulk out a little?” he demanded, arousal spiking through him at the reminder of what Bruce could become, of the strength he wielded.  Bruce might not be an alpha, but he was quite clearly in charge of their little tryst, and Tony gave up trying to direct the other man, settling down obediently.

 

Bruce gave him a fond, approving smile.  “There, now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he asked gently.  Tony shook his head, his tongue darting out to lick his upper lip, his eyes still fixed on the other man who would hopefully be touching him again soon.  He was rewarded when those clever fingers tickled their way up his ribs and stomach before brushing over his nipples.  He nearly jackknifed off the couch at the first touch, not realizing just how sensitive his new Extremis-modified body was now.  He had never really bothered to pay attention to his chest when he’d dealt with his Heats on his own, and he was wondering how the hell he had missed something so amazing for months.

 

Bruce chuckled at Tony’s eagerness, and the billionaire retaliated by writhing on the worn couch, his legs spreading enticingly.  Bruce’s pupils dilated, and the other man took the invitation for what it was, pressing himself forward between Tony’s legs, the fabric of his pants brushing against the sensitive flesh of Tony’s thighs.  The disparity sent another sharp spike of arousal shooting through Tony, and he moaned, his eyes fluttering closed as the warmth spread inexorably down his spine.

 

Bruce’s hands were still moving, but not they were followed by lips and teeth and tongue, leaving a slick trail across Tony’s sternum.  The omega mewled and whimpered, the sounds designed to spur his partner on, enticing him to take what was his, to mate with the omega in Heat.  Bruce growled possessively, teeth fastening on the side of Tony’s throat, marking him.  Bruce sucked hard around his mouthful of flesh, and Tony gave him a pleased rumble, knowing that the area would bruise magnificently.

 

Unable to resist and wanting to reciprocate the pleasure his partner was giving him, Tony reached up, his hands settling carefully on either side of Bruce’s waist.  When Bruce didn’t back away, Tony let his hands wander a bit, tracing the outline of Bruce’s ribs before moving to his shoulders and arms, feeling the flex of muscles under skin as Bruce held himself up with one hand and wrapped the other one around Tony’s throat.  He didn’t squeeze, just let his hand rest there, curved around the omega’s neck, a solid weight that encouraged Tony to obey, to submit.

 

The genius did so happily, his fingers digging into taut muscles as he rolled his hips upward, seeking friction, wrapping his legs around Bruce’s waist to draw the other man closer.  He was muttering a litany of “please, please, please” under his breath, his body craving that feeling of fullness that would come when his partner – lover? – finally penetrated him.

 

But Bruce wasn’t to be hurried.  If Tony didn’t know better, he’d wonder if Bruce intended for them to have actual penetration happening at all, the vicious bastard.  But surely the other man wouldn’t just leave like this, hot and frustrated and unfilled.  Right?

 

Bruce was mouthing at the dip of his waist, his back curved sharply so that he was folded nearly in half, pausing occasionally to deliver a sharp nip that made Tony buck and whine.  He was muttering under his breath, his words garbled and nonsensical.    Bruce’s hands had dropped lower, and were now holding Tony’s thighs, the fingers digging in, sending sparks of pain and pleasure through him.  No doubt they’d be bruised in the morning, but Tony found that he didn’t care.   He squirmed again, and Bruce chuckled, lifting his mouth from Tony’s stomach, where his tongue had been curling into the shallow dip of his navel.

 

“So impatient,” he teased.

 

Tony pouted at him.  Bruce leaned up, stretching his body awkwardly over Tony’s, still gripping his thighs, to take his mouth in a firm kiss, effectively shutting him up.  Tony groaned into the kiss, obviously pleased.  The way Bruce was stretched over him also made it easier for him to arch up, rubbing himself shamelessly against Bruce’s upper thighs, still annoyingly clothed.

 

Bruce’s tongue flicked out to caress Tony’s lips, and Tony opened his mouth eagerly, drawing in the other man’s tongue and playing with it.  This time, it was Bruce who groaned, his fingers clenching down tighter before releasing him altogether and fumbling at his hips for a moment before sliding down further, swiping fingers through Tony’s slick before moving back around and gripping Tony’s cock in a firm grasp.  He wasn’t playing around anymore.

 

Tony gasped, tearing his mouth away at the sudden overwhelming sensation.  “Finally,” he breathed, gasping.  Bruce squeezed, and Tony gave an embarrassing squeak, then squirmed, rolling his hips upwards again.  Bruce obligingly adjusted his grip, making it easier for Tony to fuck into his slicked fist.

 

“So good,” he mumbled.  “Bruce, feels so…yeah, like that.  Come on.  Come on,” he urged, not entirely sure what he was saying, only knowing that he didn’t want it to stop.  Not ever.

 

It took an embarrassingly short time – perhaps half a dozen strokes – before Tony was coming, his fingers clutching Bruce’s biceps and his back arched upwards as he painted Bruce’s hand and his own stomach with streaks of ejaculate before collapsing in a sweating, boneless heap.  Bruce pulled his hand away from over sensitized flesh and studied his hand for a moment before bringing it tentatively up to his own mouth, swiping his tongue over his fingers and palm, cleaning himself off.  Tony moaned appreciatively, his cock already stirring again with renewed interest.  If there was one positive thing about omega Heats, it was that his refraction time was shorter than it had been since he’d been a teenager.

 

He noticed that Bruce’s pants were still on and zipped, and probably quite painful by this point, but when he reached out to try and help the other man, Bruce caught his wrist.  “Tony, we can’t,” he sighed, his tone regretful.  “I…can’t get too excited.”

 

Tony frowned, his lethargic brain taking longer than usual to put the pieces together, but when things finally clicked, he stared up at his partner in disbelief.  “Are you kidding me?” he demanded.

 

Bruce shook his head, his lips turning down in a reproving frown.  “I wouldn’t joke about this, Tony, and you know it,” he reprimanded the genius.  “The other guy isn’t only triggered by anger.  If my heart rate goes up too high – if I get too excited – I risk a transformation.  You’re locked in here for the next several hours.  I won’t risk it.”  He had that stubborn lilt in his voice, the one that said that he was determined not to budge on the matter, and Tony debated internally for a moment before deciding that he’d let it go.  For now.

 

“Fine,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his bare chest, aware that he probably looked ridiculous, sulking while slick still leaked out of his ass and his cock filled for a second round.  “But afterwards, we’re testing that.  I think you can come without Hulking out.  We’ll run some tests,” he smirked, pleased with himself.

 

Bruce just rolled his eyes.  “I’ll think about it, Tony,” he replied drily.  Tony grinned; that was practically a ‘yes’ coming from Banner.

 

“Good,” he approved, then reached up towards his partner, his hands making a classic gimme gesture.  “Now come here and fuck me, would you?” he demanded.  “You can manage that much, right?”

 

Bruce huffed out a laugh, but didn’t hesitate to slip a finger down to Tony’s entrance, circling it for just a moment, slipping through the slick before sliding inside, up to the knuckled.  Tony keened, his hands reaching out to grab Bruce and tug him closer.  The other man didn’t allow it, removing his hand and using both hands to pin Tony’s hands above his head.  Shifting a bit so that he was sitting in front of Tony on the couch, his hip pressed against Tony’s side, he switched his grip to one hand and used the other to fumble at his own pants.

 

Tony licked his lips, his eyes riveted on Bruce’s fingers as they managed to undo the button and zipper so that he could slide the pants off his hips with a sinuous shimmy, freeing his cock.  Tony eyed it hungrily, his body craving it in a way that he knew would probably send Bruce running halfway across the world.  Silently, he promised his traitorous body that next time, he’d find a way to get that lovely thing inside him.

 

Now that he wasn’t quite so constrained, Bruce shifted again, his hand pressing Tony’s wrists down into the couch as his other hand returned to Tony’s backside.  This time, he slid two fingers into Tony, who mewled and writhed, pressing back down against those fingers.  A third was added almost immediately, and Tony sighed around the feeling of fullness.  It might not be as good as an alpha’s cock – or even Bruce’s – but there was finally something inside him that wasn’t a toy or his own fingers.

 

While Bruce fucked him with his fingers, his hand twisting and his fingers curling to stroke and press across his prostate, the beta delivered several sharp biting kisses to Tony’s stomach and chest before returning to his throat, sucking another bruise mark into the tan column of his neck before moving up to capture his mouth in a hungry kiss, the press of teeth adding just a hint of danger to the entire proceeding.

 

When Bruce pulled back, he started talking, his voice low and filthy.  Tony felt his mind sliding into a haze of arousal and submission.  “You love this, don’t you, Tony?” Bruce murmured.  “Giving up, not being in control any more.  I bet I could make you come just like this, without ever touching your cock.  What do you think?”  Tony whimpered, unable to formulate a proper reply.

 

Bruce chuckled darkly.  “So eager for me to fuck you, even knowing that the Hulk might come out.  Then again, maybe that’s what you want.  Is it? Do you want to be fucked by the Hulk, split on his massive cock?  I can guarantee that he’s bigger than any alpha out there you’ll ever find.”  Tony keened, his body writhing under Bruce’s manipulations.  Where the hell had the mild-mannered scientist learned to talk so dirty like that?  “And he wouldn’t be gentle; he never is.  The Hulk would just take what he wanted, even if it broke you.”

 

Bruce’s fingers crooked, pressing firmly across his prostate, and Tony shuddered and screamed as he came, Bruce’s name tearing itself out of his throat as his vision whited out.  He slumped back down as the orgasm faded, then whimpered.  Bruce’s fingers were still inside him, still pressing up against that tiny lump inside that jolted him with shocks of pleasure.  Tony groaned, the sensation catching him somewhere between oversensitivity and overwhelming pleasure.

 

“Come on, Tony,” Bruce murmured, “you can do better than that.  I think you can come again, just like this.”  He pulled his fingers out, then slipped them back inside Tony. Only now, there were four, and as he twisted his wrist, Tony mewled and squirmed, his cock filling once again, despite the relative discomfort.

 

Bruce leaned down and whispered in his ear.  “Do you think I could get my whole fist in there, Tony?  You’d have to at least take that much if the Hulk was going to fuck you.  Take my fist and shove it up inside you, see what’s up there,” he murmured.  Tony shuddered, and Bruce’s other hand released his wrist, moving down instead to his throat, tightening just enough to force Tony to take shallow breaths, squeezing rhythmically.  Tony felt light-headed, the pleasure and lack of oxygen sending him into a tailspin of hazy pleasure.

 

“That’s it, Tony.  Come on, one more, and then you can rest for a little bit,” Bruce encouraged him, nipping at his lower lip before trailing kisses down his chin and up to the curve of his ear.  Tony felt himself approaching the edge, and he keened.  Just a bit more and he’d be there.

 

“Such a good boy,” Bruce crooned, and Tony’s eyes flew open as he came, the words causing something hardwired in his brain to short out, his body arching, his throat surging up against Bruce’s hand.  And then, his brain shut down entirely.

 

When he finally managed to rouse himself from his post-orgasmic high – he refused to admit that he might have, possibly, just passed out for a bit there – he realized that Bruce had used the time to get them both cleaned up and to drape a blanket over Tony.  There was no point in dressing him, since he’d just ruin the clothes with his slick anyhow, or else tear them back off again later.

 

“Bruce?” he mumbled, not immediately seeing the other man.  He knew, in theory, that Bruce had to either be here or in the lab, but he was still a bit worried when he couldn’t locate the man.  He scented the air, but it was thick with pheromones and Heat scent, and while he smelled both himself and Bruce, he couldn’t use it to locate the other man.

 

After a moment, he heard the padding of bare feet coming across the floor, and he relaxed as Bruce rounded the side of the couch, carrying a tray containing a plate of sandwiches and several bottles of cold water, one of which he handed to Tony as the smaller man sat up.  Tony guzzled the bottle happily, and Bruce handed him another one, along with a sandwich, before settling himself on the couch.  Tony curled happily up against him, warm and content and rather pleased with himself and the world at large.

 

He had the sudden urge to rub himself against Bruce, and did so shamelessly, one hand tangling in the mop of curls on top of the other man’s head, and the other one raking gently through his partner’s chest hair, the sensation oddly pleasant.  Bruce just sighed happily into the touch, his head rolling towards Tony as his eyes slid shut.  “You need to go again?” he mumbled, sounding neither eager nor upset about it.  In fact, it seemed to be mostly concerned, and Tony smiled at him.

 

“Naw, I’m good for a little while,” he admitted, nuzzling into the warmth of Bruce’s throat and chest.  The man ran a few degrees hotter than everybody else, and Tony basked in the extra heat now.  “I’m not nearly as insatiable as an omega-born, thank goodness.  Probably because it’s Extremis-induced, and incapacitating me for days on end would be counter-productive.”

 

Bruce chuckled, one hand moving up to press against the back of Tony’s head, holding him in place.  Tony wriggled a bit in pleasure, feeling that hand press more firmly, forcing him to still his body before loosening a bit.  Grinning against the beta’s chest, Tony flicked his tongue out, tasting sweat and something that was just Bruce.  The man obviously hadn’t had time to take an actual shower yet, so his scent was mostly natural, which soothed something deep inside Tony that he didn’t want to look at too closely.

 

Bruce’s voice, when he spoke, translated into a low rumble that vibrated across Tony’s forehead and lips.  “We need to talk, Tony,” he murmured.  Tony pouted, but Bruce was already shifting away, dragging Tony with him so that the omega ended up sprawled halfway on top of him where he lay flat on his back on the couch.

 

“Oh,” Tony breathed, pleased with this new arrangement, curling happily on top of his friend.  “That’s nice,” he murmured, and Bruce chuckled under him.  He settled, and they fell silent for a moment, Tony listening contentedly to Bruce’s steady heartbeat.  “All right,” he said after a moment, preferring to get this over with so they could go back to having sex, “talk.”

 

“Do you need actual penetration to keep this from being painful for you?” Bruce asked, and Tony blinked in shock, glad that Bruce couldn’t actually see his expression right now.  The other man didn’t mess around, did he?  Must be that doctor part of him, wanting to make sure the patient wasn’t going to be in pain that could easily be avoided.

 

He shook his head.  “I…no, not really,” he admitted.  “I mean, it burns a bit, and the longer I go without something, the more spaced out and desperate I end up, but if you’re willing to keep using your fingers” – _or your tongue_ went unspoken – “I’ll be happy enough.”

 

Bruce seemed to consider this for a moment, then huffed a laugh.  “You’re already plotting something, aren’t you?” he accused affectionately.  Tony tilted his face up towards the other man and gave him an innocent face, which he could tell Bruce didn’t believe for a moment.

 

“Maybe,” he prevaricated.  “But not right now.  I can’t focus enough, might do lasting damage.”  And that was true.  Already he could feel the itch starting up again, and he sighed, burrowing his face into the dip of Bruce’s throat, the scent of another warm body soothing.  “JARVIS, time,” he demanded, his voice muffled by the warm flesh under his mouth.

 

 _“It has been only twenty-eight minutes since your last orgasm, sir,”_ the AI replied dutifully.  Bruce made a vague choking noise above him, and his skin heated under Tony’s mouth.  How cute, the man was blushing.

 

Still, that wasn’t exactly good news.  It wasn’t horrible, of course, because it meant that very soon, Bruce would be touching him again – well, in a sexual manner, rather than a comforting one – but it was too soon.  “Dammit,” he muttered.  Bruce made a low inquiring noise, and Tony pulled his mouth away, shifting backwards on the couch and tugging Bruce with him, grateful not for the first time that he had chosen a wide, comfortable couch after his first Heat cycle.

 

Deciding that prevaricating would probably only get him a frown and refusal to engage in anything until Bruce was satisfied, Tony admitted, “It usually lasts longer, after I’ve come.”  This time, he was the one who blushed, but Bruce was frowning, propped up on his hands above Tony.  Tony whined; he wanted Bruce’s body on top of him, covering him from head to toe.  He writhed enticingly, and Bruce swallowed hard, his eyes dilating with lust and want, but he didn’t budge.  The burning coiled up inside of him, and Tony grimaced as his body started preparing him for penetration, the slick running from between his thighs.  He was grateful that Bruce had used the time in between bouts to clean them both up, but the couch cover was going to need serious washing by the time they were done.

 

“Am I making things worse?” Bruce asked, worried now.  Tony growled at him, baring his teeth.

 

“So help me, Bruce, if you think for even a minute about stopping, I’ll fucking…I don’t know what I’ll do, but you won’t like it,” he babbled, already losing focus.  This second rut was going to be much worse than the first, and Tony realized that he wouldn’t be able to think properly for much longer.  If he was going to reassure his partner that he wanted this, he had to do it now.  “Touch me,” he requested – begged, really – his hands tugging frantically at whatever parts of Bruce he could reach.

 

“Tony,” Bruce groaned, allowing his elbows to bend so that his weight rested firmly on Tony.  Tony sighed with pleasure, surrounded by heat and warmth and flesh and scent.  He was babbling again, not even really aware of the words coming out of his mouth, but whatever he was saying must’ve had some effect, because Bruce’s hands were on his waist and his mouth was suddenly there, crushing against Tony’s lips as he licked and bit and kissed, bruising both their lips in the process.  Tony cried out in pleasure, the sound muffled by Bruce’s mouth slanted over his.

 

His cock was hard and firm, pressed against his belly now.  The blanket had been lost some time ago, puddled on the floor, so there was nothing impeding the contact of skin on skin.  Bruce shifted, and Tony realized distractedly that Bruce was rutting against him, giving him friction.  “Oohhh,” he breathed out softly when Bruce tore his mouth away, his partner’s back dipping down as his shoulders rose, pressing them together even more firmly.  “Yeah, yeah, like that,” he encouraged, arching his hips upwards, the friction lovely.

 

Bruce shifted up a bit, and Tony choked off a scream as their arousals rubbed together, the friction rougher than Tony normally liked, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.  His eyes were blown, unseeing as they stared upwards, his mouth open as he panted and moaned and writhed, his fingers skimming through sweat as they tried to grip his lover’s hips.

 

Bruce fumbled for a moment, losing the rhythm, and Tony whined.  A moment later, he felt two fingers plunge inside him, and he jerked, pressing back onto those fingers before arching up into the body pressing down on him.  “Bruce, Bruce, Bruce,” he chanted, listening to the other man’s harsh breaths.

 

“Just a minute, Tony,” Bruce murmured back. “I just need…umm…there,” he said, and Tony bucked as a large, warm hand wrapped around both of them, covered in his own slick.  This time, Bruce’s groan drowned out his, and Tony only vaguely heard the other man requesting that JARVIS monitor his heart rate.

 

He didn’t hear his AI’s reply, too busy rutting up against his partner.  “Please, please, please,” he begged, writhing.  “Fuck me, please, Bruce, please.”  His promise was forgotten in the haze of lust, the words dragged out of him without conscious thought.  This was the reason that nobody else knew he was an omega; he said stupid shit like this, gave up everything, _begged_ for a cock to fuck him, and any alpha out there with two brain cells to rub together would take him up on it.

 

“Shh, Tony, it’s okay,” Bruce was murmuring.  “I’ll take care of you.  You trust me, right?” Bruce crooned.  Tony nodded frantically; of course he trusted Bruce.  Bruce was wonderful, and smart, and beautiful.  He shone like a star.  He realized that he must’ve been blathering all of that out loud when Bruce muttered, “Tony,” but his tone was one of fond exasperation, which was normal, that was okay, that was good. It meant that Bruce wasn’t going to just leave him like this.

 

“Oh, Tony,” was murmured, this time sympathetically, and Tony realized that he was still talking out loud.  So he did what he had to and pulled Bruce’s mouth to him, effectively shutting himself up.  Bruce’s kiss was nice.  Better than nice, actually.  It was really quite fantastic.

 

There was a chuckle pressed against his grinning mouth, and a hand still wrapped around both of them, providing firm pressure and a slick slide.  Tony mewled; where the hell was Bruce’s other hand?  


He found out a moment later as something – not a hand – slipped into his ass, the lubrication ensuring that it slid easily.  His eyes widened and he tossed his head back, pulling away from the kiss with a gasp and looking down.  From this angle, he couldn’t see much, but he realized that Bruce was arched above him, practically sitting up on his thighs so that he could hold them both single-handedly.  His other hand was curved back, behind his own back and further down, and from the tiny movements – not to mention the awesome sensation in his ass – Bruce was fucking him with a dildo, or vibrator, or something.

 

Reaching forward, Tony wrapped his hand around Bruce’s, so that both of their hands were holding them together.  He tightened his grip, forcing Bruce to do the same, and they both groaned at the harsher friction.  “Oh, god, Tony,” Bruce groaned, and Tony knew that he should have a witty come back for that, but he couldn’t think past the pleasure of having Bruce’s hands on him, and a cock filling his empty hole.  Bruce really was the best, most awesome lover ever, and Tony loved him.

 

There was a gasp above him, and warmth on his belly and chest.  Tony whined as Bruce’s scent covered him.  There was a hand, rubbing the ejaculate into his skin, and Tony realized in some dark corner of his mind that Bruce was actually scent marking him.  The realization threw him over the top, and he arched up as he came, surrounded by pleasure on all sides.

 

He collapsed bonelessly onto the couch, not staring at anything in particular, his breath heaving out of him in sharp gasps.  If this was the kind of lover Bruce was naturally, then he had been missing out for _months_.  He couldn’t believe that it had taken Extremis-activated Heats for him to find a lover that he could actually see being more than a one-time thing.  He hadn’t felt like that since Pepper.

 

Tony felt the dildo slipping out of him, and he whined.  Bruce paused, eyeing him discerningly, then shoved it back in roughly, in a single slide of pressure that made Tony mewl, his cock already starting to stir again.  There was a dark glimmer hidden under the arousal in Bruce’s eyes, and Tony realized that he could see a hint of green.  The Hulk was near the surface, but neither JARVIS nor Bruce had called a halt to the proceedings, so Tony wasn’t about to protest.  Instead, he decided to see if he couldn’t get the other man to do something else.

 

“Tie me up?” he asked breathlessly.  Brown eyes darted up to stare at him, flecks of green swirling in them.  “Just…make me take it.”  He could already feel his mind slipping further into the omega need for sex, his legs splaying out lewdly as more slick was produced, warm and slippery.

 

Bruce groaned. “Tony, Tony, you can’t,” he swallowed, “can’t ask me that sort of thing.”  His eyes were dark with lust, but they were pleading, too, and Tony just knew that if he pushed, Bruce would give him what he wanted.  But Bruce might never forgive him afterwards.  The fear of Bruce running again, the moment the doors were unlocked, helped Tony swim up through the fog.  He swallowed raggedly, staring up at his partner and best friend, who was still frozen above him, obviously conflicted.

 

“Okay, it’s okay, Bruce,” he said, trying to keep his tone soothing, though it was far too breathless to be comforting.  “Just…pin me, like you did earlier.  And fuck me with the dildo.  I just need to be held down, you don’t have to tie me up.  Please?”

 

A shudder wracked Bruce’s sturdy frame, and the hand that wasn’t holding the dildo inside of Tony came up and rested on his stomach, pressing firmly.  “I don’t need to hold you down,” Bruce said at last, before lifting his eyes up to meet Tony’s.  The green was more pronounced now.  “Because you’ll hold yourself down.  Won’t you?”

 

That last was said in a deep growl, and Tony shuddered, his body gushing more slick as Bruce shoved the dildo impossibly deeper.  He arched his hips – whether to escape or press further down, he wasn’t sure – and Bruce curled his hand, nails digging warningly into Tony’s taut stomach.  “Down,” he barked, and Tony obeyed instantly, his body dropping to the couch, his legs spread impossibly wide.  He knew, vaguely, that he’d feel the stretch and burn later, but right now, he just wanted Bruce to see everything, to see that he had nothing to hide, that he could be good. So, so good.

 

“Good boy,” Bruce praised, and Tony fairly preened under the recognition, though he was careful to keep his body still.  As a reward, Bruce’s hand traveled a straight path from his stomach to his throat, holding him firmly by the neck.  If he tried to arch up again, he’d cut off his own ability to breathe.  Tony moaned in bliss.

 

The dildo was removed almost the entire way before being shoved back in, making Tony cry out, his cock throbbing, filled with blood as arousal sent jolts of electricity through his body.  This was repeated, again and again and again, until Tony was writhing, unable to help himself anymore.  Bruce was whispering encouragement, his tone occasionally deepening into a snarl.  Whenever he’d get close, Bruce would stop, just go completely still until Tony came back from the edge, begging and whimpering, tears leaking from his eyes as he pleaded with Bruce to just _fuck him_ and _let him come_!  But Bruce had gotten control of himself again, and Tony was in no position to exert his wishes over the other man.  That just made it hotter.

 

When Tony finally did get to come, Bruce’s hand moving from his throat to his cock and stroking with firm, sure movements, the dildo scraping across his prostate with every shallow thrust, his eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped back into darkness, his body going limp and pliant, trusting that Bruce would protect him, would take care of him.

 

When he woke up next, he was clean and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else, covered by the afghan once more.  JARVIS helpfully informed him that there were approximately sixteen hours and twenty-two minutes remaining before his Heat was over.  Or rather, until the lockdown ended.  Tony was just starting to realize that now that he’d found a partner – even if that partner was a beta – his Heats might last longer, just to fuck with him a bit more.

 

Bruce was seated on the far side of the couch, dressed the same as Tony, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose as he read a book.  Tony grinned; he had forgotten those books were even down here.  Tony wriggled his feet where they rested in Bruce’s lap, and the other man looked over at him, marking his place in the book with a ribbon before closing it, holding it carefully in his left hand as he watched the omega.

 

“How’re you feeling, Tony?” he asked, offering the brunette a bottle of water.  Tony would’ve preferred coffee, but he knew that the caffeine wouldn’t be good for him while he was in Heat, and decaffeinated coffee wasn’t coffee.  He gulped down half of it before handing it back to Bruce, who twisted the lid back on and set it on the floor. Tony knew he’d have to drink the rest soon, but he wanted to talk to Bruce now, while his mind was clear.

 

He stretched languidly, taking careful stock of his body and pleased with what he found.  Other than a few scratches, bruises, and bite marks that were barely even noticeable, his body didn’t ache at all.  Then again, it wasn’t like Tony had actually been fucked, which might have resulted in a pleasant soreness right about now.  Not to mention that being loose and relaxed was one advantage of the omega’s Heat cycles, often making things that should hurt turn into pure pleasure.

 

“I’m good,” he replied after a moment, quite pleased.  He took a moment to check on his arousal levels and realized that while he was half-hard, there was no urgency to it.  “And apparently fucked out for a while,” he purred, watching with delight as Bruce blushed.

 

“Ah, that’s good,” Bruce said, setting his book down.  “JARVIS said that your Heats aren’t normally like that.”

 

Tony shrugged, nodding.  “Yeah, not usually,” he agreed easily.

 

Bruce frowned, and Tony knew he was deciding what to ask, and how.  “He indicated that you’ve worked straight through previous Heats, and that while you might lose focus, and your statistics indicate a higher state of arousal and anxiety, the symptoms of your Heat aren’t usually so…aggressive.”

 

Tony laughed.  That was one way to put it.  “Yeah, but that’s because when I initiate lockdown, nobody can even get close. I don’t have any pheromones around here but my own.  I’ve also always been a beta, so it makes sense that my Heats aren’t normal, either,” he pointed out.  Then he tipped his head back and sighed, releasing a low purr when Bruce absently rubbed his hand across the top of his foot.  “It’s almost like Extremis doesn’t know what it wants.  I have a Heat once a month, but only for twenty-four hours.  The urge to obey alphas is barely noticeable.  Then again,” he admitted, “that could just be because I’ve always hated authority, and see no reason for that to change now.”

 

“You listen to Steve, though,” Bruce pointed out, interrupting him.

 

Tony grimaced.  “Yeah, no,” he disagreed.  “I listen to _Captain America_ on the field, because that’s kind of his job, and he hasn’t gotten anybody killed yet.  But Steve? When was the last time you actually saw me listen to him without arguing?”

 

Bruce seemed to think about for a moment, then nodded, conceding the point.  Tony gifted him with a smug smile, and Bruce’s lips quirked up into a tiny smile. “All right, so now for the hard question.”  Tony gave him a look, and Bruce offered a bland smile in return.  “Why would Extremis make you an omega, but only partially?  I mean, why not go all the way?  And more importantly, why do it at all?  Why not make you an alpha?”

 

Tony nodded.  “Ah, now you’re asking the right questions,” he approved.  “And the answer is…I don’t know.  Extremis doesn’t do anything without a purpose.  The only problem is, I can’t figure it out, either.  But I do know that if I ignore it, it only lasts twenty-four hours, then I might as well be a beta the rest of the time, like usual.  The omega traits really only come out during my Heats.”  He was torn between being annoyed and being grateful for that.  He’d much rather not have to deal with it at all, but since it only lasted for a single day, nobody thought it odd when he locked himself in his lab, which he did on a regular basis anyhow.

 

Bruce frowned thoughtfully, his hand stroking further up Tony’s foot, to his ankle, his fingers slipping under the elastic cuffs of Tony’s sweatpants as he watched him intently.  Tony moaned in satisfaction, closing his eyes and enjoying the soothing sensation.  “Could Extremis be trying to procreate?” Bruce asked at last.

 

It took a moment for the other man’s words to sink in through the haze of comfort and warmth that Tony was under, but when they did, his eyes snapped open and he stared at Bruce with wide eyes.  “What?” he managed after a moment.

 

Bruce shrugged.  “Is it possible that Extremis is trying to procreate.  If you don’t respond to your Heat by having an alpha take you, then there’s no chance of you being impregnated, which means that Extremis has no reason to continue the Heat cycle.  But if you obtain a lover, would that change?” Bruce mused, not really even talking to Tony anymore.  He was losing himself in science, and while Tony normally appreciated that, given how often he did it himself, now was really not the time for the other man to wander off into theories and tangents.  Not while Tony was having a minor meltdown.

 

He realized that everything around him was blurry and that his breath was catching in his lungs.  He could feel himself trembling.  Forcing himself upright, he pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, dropping his head onto them and squeezing his eyes closed, trying to remember how to breathe.  The urge to have JARVIS assemble the Iron Man armor for him was strong enough to choke on, and he made an aborted movement to do just that when he realized that there was a warm body at his back, strong arms trying to unbend him far enough to…what?  To help, he realized, his ears finally registering Bruce’s words.

 

“Come on, Tony.  It’s all right. You’re fine, you’re in the Tower, I’m here.  JARVIS says you’re having an anxiety attack, and I agree.  I need you to breathe with me, okay?  Deep breath in, then out,” he murmured.  Tony started trying to match Bruce’s breathing, his heart hammering in his chest and trying to crawl out of his throat.

 

It took several minutes before he was able to calm down enough that Bruce was just holding him, warm arms supporting his limp body as he lay there, just breathing.  “Dammit, Banner,” he muttered, “you can’t just spring that kind of shit on me.”  He wasn’t angry, not really.  Just very, very scared.

 

“Sorry,” Bruce muttered, nuzzling the side of Tony’s cheek and then further down, to his neck.  Tony sighed, the last of his resistance giving way as he finished calming down.  Bruce didn’t speak, but Tony could practically hear the thoughts rattling around in his head, and he sighed again, this time in resignation. 

 

“Just spit it out, would you?” he demanded.  “Whatever it is you’re thinking, just say it.  The Heat will be back soon, and I don’t want to have to worry about what you’re not saying coming out at a really inopportune time.”

 

Bruce chuckled quietly against the back of Tony’s neck, but spoke up.  “I was just wondering if Extremis can be tricked,” he admitted.  Tony made a vague noise of interest, and Bruce shrugged behind him, the movement jostling Tony’s back and shoulders.  “Only alpha males can impregnate an omega male, right?” he asked.  Tony nodded, his eyes widening in an ‘oh’ of realization as his brain finally caught up to what Bruce was saying.  “So would having a beta for a mate be enough to counteract Extremis’ desire for procreation?”

 

Tony frowned, testing the idea in his head.  “I don’t know if it would be that easy,” he admitted.  “It could be that Extremis doesn’t differentiate, and will settle for any mate.  Or it could get worse.  We’d have to run some tests,” he admitted.

 

Bruce hummed against him, his fingers stroking down Tony’s bare chest as the Heat scent surrounded them once more.  “Well, we’ve got time,” he said with a smile, leaning down to kiss Tony.

 

Tony hummed his agreement into the kiss.  “Yes, we do, don’t we?” he murmured when they broke apart, shifting around so that Bruce was lying flat on the couch, Tony sitting on top of his hips, using his hands on the other man’s chest to brace himself.

 

One of Bruce’s hands reached up, cupping his cheek while his thumb ran across Tony’s chin and lips and nose.  Shifting, he lifted up his other hand and used both of them to run his fingers along the side of Tony’s face, across his brow, then back down to curve around to his ears and the back of his head, cradling him.  His hips shifted under Tony, and the genius groaned.  “What?” he murmured.  “Frottage again?”

 

Bruce was watching him, his lower lip caught between his teeth, obviously debating a course of action.  Tony, as impatient as ever, stared at him seriously and said, “I mean it, Bruce.  Whatever you want.  I trust you.”  It was simple, as far as declarations went, but Tony didn’t trust many people.  Pepper, and Rhodey, of course.  Bruce.  Maybe the rest of the team, though that was still debatable.  So, three people since Obie and Yinsen that he trusted with his life, with his well-being.

 

Bruce hummed, seeming to come to a decision.  “Pants off,” he ordered.  Tony slipped off the couch immediately, dropping his sweatpants down around his ankles and stepping out of them, already feeling the slick starting to run down his thighs.  “Me next,” Bruce decided, and Tony reached out to tug at the other man’s waist band, pulling the pants carefully down over Bruce’s erection.  His lover tilted his hips accommodatingly, making it easier for Tony to remove them altogether.

 

Bruce sat up, pulling his feet back, then gestured for Tony to kneel on the other side of the couch.  Tony did so with alacrity, his skin practically vibrating with nervous energy and arousal.  He had no idea what Bruce had planned, but he was sure it was going to be amazing.

 

Within seconds, he had his answer.  Bruce’s chest pressed all against his back, and the other man’s cock nestled nice and neat between the globes of his ass, not pressing into him, but just resting there, teasing him.  Tony groaned. “Intergluteal, really?” he managed.  Bruce shushed him with a hand over his mouth, and Tony happily shut up.

 

Once he was sure that Tony would keep quiet, he moved both hands down to Tony’s ass, one hand on either cheek, pushing them together to form a tight channel for his cock.  The display was overtly dominant – the beta taking his pleasure from the omega’s flesh – that Tony felt the frission of arousal and need go straight to his cock.  “Oh, god, yes,” he moaned.  “Please, Bruce.”

 

Bruce chuckled, and Tony squirmed in anticipation. He knew that chuckle.  “Please what?” Bruce murmured innocently, continuing on before Tony could voice his desires.  “Please keep fucking you like this?  You know, with only this for stimulation, I don’t think it’s possible for you to come.  What do you think?”  Tony just moaned, quickly slipping into non-verbal.

 

A sudden sharp thrust from behind resulted in Bruce’s cock catching just on the rim before sliding past, and Tony fairly sobbed.  Almost, he’d been so close to having his body penetrated, to being fucked by his lab partner and best friend. “Bruce,” he whined, too far gone to be embarrassed at the way his voice broke.

 

“You should see yourself, Tony,” Bruce fairly growled, “all hot and aching for it.  We haven’t even really gotten started yet.  Don’t worry, I’m going to take care of you.”  The words were spoken with a rough snarl, but Tony could hear the genuine reassurance underneath.  Bruce really was going to take care of him, and that meant giving him everything he needed.  Well, everything except the one thing he really wanted, which was for Bruce to be fucking him through the couch and into next week.

 

Bruce’s hands were holding him down firmly, and Tony struggled to put together enough words to make a coherent sentence.  “Thought you said sex…would bring out the Big Guy,” he managed to gasp, writhing as much as he was able, pinned in place as he was.  Bruce had pressed him down to the couch so that he was more or less flat on his stomach, with little room to move or push back.  Not that such technicalities stopped him from trying.

 

There was a low rumble.  “It might,” Bruce agreed breathlessly.  “Which is why I’d rather not be inside you.  Like this, I can pull back if I feel him move forward.”  Tony cursed the man’s ability to think rationally while Tony was like this, slick and hot and wanting.

 

“So,” Tony panted, squirming again, his body rocking with Bruce’s movements, the heat and pressure building him up.  He pressed his cock down against the couch, trying to get enough friction to come.  “What else is on the table?”  His voice was a bit strangled, but he really couldn’t help it, his eyes dazed and unfocused, random groans and whimpers tearing themselves from his throat.  “Oooh, that’s good! Do that again!” he ordered when Bruce slipped just a bit higher, sliding into the small of Tony’s back.

 

Bruce did as he’d asked before slipping back down and resituating himself, continuing his shallow thrusts.  “That depends,” Bruce mused, his voice more or less even, “on what I feel like doing, I suppose.  I’ve tested my ejaculate, you know.  It’s not irradiated when I’m like this, at least not enough to hurt you, even if you sucked me off.”  Tony groaned, his mouth watering at the image of him on his knees on the floor, bringing Bruce off with his mouth, letting the other man fuck his mouth and throat.  He had always enjoyed blowjobs, both giving and receiving, so he was pretty sure that wasn’t just an omega thing.

 

“There’s intercrural, and a bunch of toys, of course,” Bruce continued idly, his thrusts slowing considerably, forcing a whine out of Tony.  “I’m sure there are toys out there that even you haven’t tried,” he mused, his hands moving up to stroke along Tony’s shoulders and back, rubbing sweat and other fluids into his skin.

 

Tony gasped.  “Please,” he begged.  “All of it, any of it.  Bruce, just let me come!”  He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to beg or demand, but it didn’t matter anymore, as Bruce picked up his pace with a grunt, his movements sure and steady.  Gripping Tony’s hips, he paused for a moment to urge the omega to lift his hips a little bit.

 

“Touch yourself, Tony,” Bruce ordered, and Tony’s hand moved without thinking, curving down under his stomach so he could grasp himself, gasping at the stimulation as he stroked, Bruce’s powerful thrusts rocking him into his own hand.  With a whine, Tony jerked, and the head of Bruce’s cock slipped, barely penetrating.  Both men froze, their breaths harsh in the quiet of the room.

 

“Bruce?” Tony tried after a moment when the other man made no move to either pull out or thrust in.  Tony wasn’t sure which one he wanted more at this point.

 

With a groan, Bruce dropped his head against Tony’s back, his curls tickling the damn flesh.  “Bruce?” Tony tried again, not really sure what he wanted to say and afraid to just let his mouth run off without any input.

 

“Tony,” Bruce managed to choke out in return.  “I want… _he_ wants…dammit!”

 

Tony had tensed at Bruce’s words, realizing what the other man was trying to say.  “Is he going to come out?” he asked quietly.  “Or is he just urging you to do what we both want, and just fuck me?”

 

Bruce chuckled.  “He wants me to…oh, god…the Hulk wants me to claim you as ours,” he bit out through clenched teeth.  Tony didn’t even try to hide the thrill of excitement that shot through him upon hearing those words.

 

“Oh, yes, please,” he gasped out.  “I meant what I said earlier, you know.  I’ve wanted you for a long time, since we met, really.  If I’m to remain like this, then I want it to be you who sees me through my Heats, you who takes care of me, who protects me, who loves me.”  Bruce was trembling against his back now, his breath stuttering out of his chest.  Tony thought that he could, maybe, feel the other man’s heartbeat through the touch of their skin.

 

Bruce shuddered, then gave a slow, long push, sliding inside Tony’s body easily.  Tony keened, but carefully held his body still, ignoring the part of him that wanted to move and buck and thrust back against his partner’s body, impaling him further.  “This is a terrible idea,” Bruce muttered.

 

“Maybe, but it’s totally worth it,” Tony agreed breathlessly.  “Move? Please?”

 

With another guttural groan, Bruce tightened his grip on Tony’s hips and pulled back, sliding nearly the whole way out before thrusting back in, setting up a steady rhythm.  It wasn’t as fast or hard as Tony might like, but considering he hadn’t been expecting to be properly fucked at all, he wasn’t going to complain.  Instead, he focused on the fact that Bruce Banner, genius physicist, was _inside of him_.  That trumped almost anything he could possibly think of to complain about.

 

“JARVIS,” he gasped, the next thrust derailing his train of thought.  Fortunately for him, JARVIS had been anticipating him for years.

 

 _“Slightly elevated heart rate, well below critical volume,”_ the AI replied. _“The Mark 42 is ready should it be necessary.  However, sir, might I say that I’ve observed that Doctor Banner has significantly more control that you yourself.”_

Tony barked out a sharp laugh; even with him writhing in the throes of Heat, his AI found the gall to be cheeky with him.  He couldn’t even come up with any good insults with the delicious slide of the cock inside him, rubbing against his prostate every couple of thrusts.  He had forgotten about his own erection in the meantime, and took steps to remedy that, his hand clamping down over himself.  He groaned.

 

Bruce’s breath was increasing in speed, the slap of flesh on flesh loud in the room, Tony’s keening cries interrupting.  It took him several moments longer than it should have to realize that Bruce was all but chanting his name.  “Tony, Tony, Tony. So good.  It’s been so long.  I can’t…I…” Bruce stammered, shoving forward roughly, pushing Tony’s shoulders down into the couch cushions.

 

Turning his head so he could breathe, Tony gave a vicious grin, deliberately squeezing his passage around the beta, making him cry out and thrust harder than he’d probably intended.  “That’s it, Bruce.  Come on, give it to me.  It’s fine, it’s okay, I want it.  Want you.  Come on.”  He kept up a slew of nonsensical, vaguely encouraging words.  Bruce’s hand scrabbled down, wrapping around Tony’s hand where he was jerking himself off, and that was all it took.  Tony came with a loud cry, his whole body tensing and clamping down as his vision whited out, the orgasm catching him by surprise and leaving him a shuddering, wrecked mess on the couch.

 

Bruce continued to thrust, but Tony had more or less checked out.  He gathered up enough energy to clamp down around the other man again, and Bruce was gone, shuddering as he came inside Tony’s body, slumping down over him afterwards, his body heavy and covered with sweat.  Tony knew he was lying in the cooling patch of his own semen, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, his hand fumbling vaguely backwards until he managed to snag Bruce’s wrist and bring it forwards.

 

“No green,” he muttered after a moment, forcing himself to focus.  “Can’t see your eyes, though.”

 

Bruce huffed a laugh, but obligingly shifted, his weight pressing into Tony for a moment until he managed to work his head around so that Tony could see his eyes. Tony hummed, pleased.  “No green,” he proclaimed.  “Which is really awesome, because as unbelievably hot as the thought is, I really didn’t fancy being fucked by the actual Hulk,” he added.

 

“Tony?” Bruce murmured.  Tony made an inquiring hum, and Bruce said, “Shut up.”  Tony chuckled, but fell silent, content to just lie there for a bit until the need to either move or have another go stirred them into movement.

 

He gasped in shock when Bruce buried his nose in his throat, sniffing obviously at him.  “Bruce, what?” he asked, half-laughing at the tickling sensation.  Bruce ignored him, his nose trailing up across Tony’s cheek and behind his ear, then nuzzling into his hairline.

 

“It’s gone,” Bruce said.  Tony looked at him uncomprehendingly.  “The Heat scent,” Bruce said.  “It’s not there anymore.”

 

Tony bolted upright, nearly smacking the back of his head into Bruce’s nose.  The other man scrambled off of him with a muttered curse, and Tony gave him a sheepish grimace before scenting the air and taking stock.  Bruce was right.  He could smell the remnants of sex and Heat, but no new pheromones seemed to be coming from him, and he stared blankly down at his hands.  “What the fuck?” he demanded of nobody in particular.

 

 _“It would appear that your Heat cycle has ended, sir,”_ JARVIS input helpfully.  _“Your baselines have returned to their normal beta levels.”_

“When did this happen?” Tony demanded next.  He had thought he was still in Heat when Bruce had taken him that last time, but maybe it had just been in his head.  In which case, he might owe the man an apology or something.

_“Pheromone levels and anal lubrication production began to drop following ejaculation by Doctor Banner, and returned to baseline three minutes and forty-nine seconds ago,”_ JARVIS answered him.  Bruce groaned and dropped his face into his hands.  It didn’t hide the fact that he was blushing, considering that his ears were bright red.  Tony wasn’t about to point it out, though, given that his own face had heated considerably at JARVIS’s blunt analysis.  Maybe there was something to be said for delicacy and tact, after all.

 

Tony looked around after a moment before deciding that if his Heat was over, he might as well go take a shower and get some work done.  The lockdown wouldn’t end for another several hours yet, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be productive.  He’d have to see what happened the following month and determine if he’d need to adjust his protocols, perhaps to either shorten the time he was locked in here, or to permit Bruce to enter during a lockdown.

 

“Well, I’m gonna go take a shower then work on the armor for a while,” he said, looking over at Bruce.  The other man lifted his head from his hands and blinked owlishly at Tony.  The genius grinned.  “I’m not in Heat anymore.  That being said, you want to join me in the shower?”

 

He held his hand out to the other man, waiting patiently and trying not to panic.  It was quite possible that Bruce would reject him now that his Heat was over, and Tony wouldn’t blame him if he did.  Tony wasn’t exactly easy to get along with, and he was pretty sure that he had just steamrolled right through all of Bruce’s roadblocks.  The man was bound to be upset and confused and uncomfortable.  Tony just hoped he’d be able to keep him from running halfway across the world the moment those doors opened again.

 

To his surprise, Bruce reached out and took his hand, letting Tony pull him to his feet.  Tony grinned happily and led the way to the shower in the back of the room.  Sometimes, he wouldn’t leave the lab for a week, so he needed a place to crash, get food, and get cleaned up.  Hence the living space behind his lab.  Bruce’s lab had one, too, actually.

 

JARVIS already had the shower running when they arrived, and Tony let Bruce climb in before slipping in behind him and reaching for the soap.  Bruce seemed a bit skittish and lost in thought, so Tony kept his hands to himself, allowing Bruce to do the same.  It was a relatively quick shower, but it helped, and Tony toweled himself off and slipped on jeans and a tank top gratefully.  Bruce borrowed another pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt, and Tony made a mental note to get some of Bruce’s clothes down here as soon as possible.  It was just common sense, after all; Bruce spent a lot of time in his lab, despite having one of his own, usually at Tony’s invitation.  Well, more like Tony demanding that Bruce absolutely _had_ to come and see a new upgrade, or help him with something.

 

Clean and dry, Tony led the way back out to his lab, greeting DUM-E, Butterfingers, and You as they chirped at him, circling him and Bruce.  DUM-E nudged Bruce rather harder than necessary, and Tony narrowed his eyes at the bot.  “DUM-E, don’t you dare be rude to Bruce, or so help me, I’ll turn you into a see-saw and donate you to a local park.”

 

DUM-E whirred at him, and Tony just snapped his fingers, pointing at the other scientist in the room.  “Don’t give me that.  You apologize to him now,” he said, his voice stern.

 

Bruce looked between the two of them, but didn’t react when DUM-E bumped against his arm, gentler this time, and chirped quietly.  He smiled at the bot, his left hand reaching out and patting DUM-E’s strut.  “It’s all right,” he reassured the bot.  “I won’t hurt him. I promise.”  DUM-E clicked and whirred – his version of approval – and zipped back over to his brothers.  Tony just huffed in fond exasperation, shaking his head at his the bot’s antics.

 

Tony grinned appreciatively at the other man, slinging an arm around his shoulder and half-dragging him over to the workbench where the Iron Man gauntlet still sat.  He settled down, and Bruce sat next to him, pulling up several screens.  It took Tony a moment to realize that Bruce had pulled up the notes on Extremis.  From Tony’s private server.

 

“Wait. How?” he demanded incredulously.

 

Bruce glanced over at him, offering him a bland smile.  “I asked,” he shrugged.

 

Tony stared at him gobsmacked. “You…when?  How?” he spluttered, too surprised to realize he was repeating himself.  About a month after Bruce had moved in, Tony had given him full clearances, meaning that he could access anything he wanted to, including the schematics on Tony’s arc reactor, armor, and Extremis’s formula.  JARVIS had tried to caution him against it, but Tony had ignored him.  He trusted Bruce.  Besides, it had been something of a game, trying to guess when Bruce would figure out just how much freedom Tony had given him.  None of the others had anything close to Bruce’s clearances.

 

Bruce tipped his head to the side, nudging his glasses back up with his forefinger. “Umm…about three months after I moved in.  You remember when your reactor was cracked?” he asked.  Tony’s eyes widened as he nodded.  “Well, I was able to get your spare that you keep in Malibu. Steve actually flew down there to get it.”  Tony tried to not show his disgust at the fact that Captain America had been in his California home without him.  He must have failed, because Bruce just gave him an amused smile and shrugged.  “I was busy trying to keep you from dying. I certainly couldn’t do it, and Steve was the only one close by,” he pointed out.

 

Tony crossed his arms over his chest, sulking, but he didn’t interrupt, and Bruce continued after a moment.  “The casing itself was damaged, as well as the connectors.  I needed to see the schematics to figure out what was broken,” he admitted with a rueful smile.  “So I asked JARVIS if there were any emergency protocols in place that would allow somebody to access the necessary data if you were unable to give the commands to yourself.”  He shrugged.  “He informed me that I had full access to the information.  After that, I decided to look into just how much leeway I actually had.”

 

He gave Tony a reproachful frown, which the billionaire cheerfully ignored.  “JARVIS, what was the deal?” he asked.

 

 _“Additional storage capacity, sir,”_ JARVIS replied smugly.  Tony had bet JARVIS that it would take nearly six months for Bruce to realize what Tony had done.  The AI had countered with Bruce needing less, and had upped the ante by stating that Tony wouldn’t even realize that Bruce had caught on for at least two months following that.

 

Tony chuckled.  “All right,” he agreed with a casual shrug.  “I’d been meaning to get around to some upgrades anyhow.”  He eyed the darkened lab windows, then glanced over at Bruce, who was waiting patiently to be given something interesting to do, his hands idly scrolling through data on Extremis.  “In fact, since we’re on lockdown anyhow, how about we get started?” he declared, clapping his hands together in excitement.

 

 _“Very good, sir,”_ JARVIS approved.

 

As Tony brought up JARVIS’s code, as comfortable with Bruce as he’d be if he’d been alone, the other man asked, “What is Extremis’ purpose?  Your version of it,” he clarified.  “What makes it react?”

 

Tony didn’t even glance up from his coding as he replied, the answer rolling off his tongue easily.  “The original Extremis was intended to access the part of the brain that deals with healing and evolution,” he explained.  “Killian believed that it was the next step, a way to create something like the super soldier.”

 

“Like Captain America,” Bruce mused softly.

 

Tony shrugged.  “Not quite, but sure, we’ll go with that,” he agreed.  “After that son of a bitch infected Pepper with the virus, I had to find a way to cure it, or fix it.  I mean, that’s kind of what I do, right? I fix things.  So anyhow,” he got back on track, “I fixed it, cured Pepper, then realized that I could use it.”

 

Bruce nodded.  “Right, the surgery to have the shrapnel and arc reactor removed,” he mused.

 

Tony nodded.  “Yeah, that.  Of course, the hard part was finding doctors that I could trust, since the plan was for Extremis to repair everything that was missing.  The last thing I wanted was to wake up in a lab somewhere.  Or to not wake up at all,” he muttered darkly.  “Sorry,” he grimaced, realizing how awful that sounded, given who he was speaking to.

 

Bruce shook his head.  “It’s fine,” he replied softly.  “So, when you ‘fixed’ Extremis, what did you do to it?  I mean, you run a little warmer when it’s activated, but you don’t glow or anything like the people you told me about did.”

 

Tipping his head back with a sigh, Tony admitted, “That’s because I altered Extremis a bit.  It reacts to my wishes.  Well, sort of,” he sighed.  “I mean, I can call my suits now without having to insert subdermal implants.  Extremis gives me a sort of…connection to them.  And it heals me, of course.  Why all the questions?” he asked.  “Not that I’m complaining, but you’ve got that look.”  Bruce just looked at him in confusion, and he grinned.  “Yeah, that one.  The one that says you’re working your way through a puzzle.  So what’s with the questions.”

 

“When did your Heats start?” Bruce asked slowly.

 

Tony frowned, trying to think back.  He couldn’t remember.  “JARVIS?” he asked at last.

 

 _“This is your seventh Heat cycle, sir,”_ JARVIS provided.  And then, possibly anticipating Bruce’s next question, he added, _“Your first Heat cycle occurred approximately three months following the surgery to remove the arc reactor, sir.”_

Tony frowned; that didn’t make any sense.  Why would Extremis wait three full months before throwing him into an omega Heat?

 

Bruce was watching him intently now, his eyes uncertain.  Tony sighed.  “Just spit it out, Banner, whatever it is.  If you’ve got an idea, I’d love to hear it right about now.”

 

“When did you decide that you wanted me for a lover?” Bruce asked obediently.  Tony’s breath caught as he stared at Bruce wide-eyed.

 

“What?” he managed to choke out.

 

Bruce shrugged.  “You said that Extremis reacted to your wishes, right?  Like it does with the suits.  If you wanted a mate, then perhaps Extremis worked to ensure that it happened.  Except that you kept locking yourself away.  That might also be why the Heat cycles only lasted for a single day.”

 

Tony stared at him for several long moments before dropping his head to smack it softly against the worktable.  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he moaned.  But it made sense, the pieces falling together neatly.  The Heat cycles only ever started while Tony was in the lab, never anywhere else.  Bruce was the only one who ever came into his lab, unless he had invited one of the others down to present them with some new piece of tech or weaponry.  The Heat had ended as soon as Bruce had fucked him properly, had mated with him.

 

He turned his head to the side, his cheek pressed against the cool surface of the table.  “I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly.  “I never intended to manipulate you.  Not like that.  You were supposed to have a choice,” he said bitterly.

 

Bruce reached over and gripped his shoulder firmly, meeting Tony’s eyes without flinching.  “I had a choice,” he disagreed.  “I could have left you to deal with it yourself.  I knew the risks, Tony,” he pointed out.  Then he shrugged.  “And maybe I didn’t really fight it as hard as I could have,” he confessed lowly.

 

Tony blinked, absorbing the words, then sat up, knocking Bruce’s hand from his shoulder.  “Wait, you mean…you wanted me, too?” he demanded incredulously.

 

Bruce huffed a short laugh.  “I guess I did,” he mused.  “I never really let myself think about it.  I just kept telling myself that it was too dangerous, that I wouldn’t risk what we had – wouldn’t risk hurting you – just to break up the loneliness.”  Dark brown eyes lifted to meet Tony’s.  “I guess we’re both idiots, huh?” he chuckled.

 

Tony sniffed, raising his nose into the air.  “I’ll have you know, Doctor Banner, that _I_ am a genius.”  As he’d hoped, his arrogant self-mocking got a low chuckle from Bruce, and he grinned over at the other man, leaning in close and taking the other man’s mouth in a kiss.  Bruce responded almost instantly, and when Tony pulled back, they were both panting, their eyes bright.  “You know, if Extremis really did get us together, we probably have to actually stay together now, or it might get worse,” he pointed out.

 

Bruce nodded.  “Agreed, Mr. Stark,” he murmured back, leaning in for another kiss.

 

Tony accommodated his lover happily, silently congratulating himself for his ingenuity in perfecting Extremis.  The system might not work perfectly, but it was pretty damn close.

 

 _“Might I offer my congratulations to you both,”_ JARVIS offered wryly.

 

Tony grinned.  “Thanks, JARVIS.”  Then he wrapped his arms around Bruce and straddled his lap.  Bruce chuckled, but stood up obediently and followed Tony back into the safe room.

 

There were still another thirteen hours remaining to lockdown, after all.


End file.
